Once Upon a Christmas
by deuxieme-etoile-a-droite
Summary: Secret Santa present for @soligblomma! xx Regina is celebrating her first Christmas with all the ones she holds dear. Takes place after 3B, pretending the time-travel-Marilena-bullshit never happened.


Regina was anxious. It was silly really, it would just be another night with her friends and family, nothing to worry about. Except it wasn't just any other night. It was Christmas night. The first one she would be celebrating with all the ones that she hold dear in her heart. Well, except the pirate maybe but for Emma and for old time's sake she would indulge him.

She finished to get herself ready. Elegant black sequined dress and red lips, simple and Christmassy. Regina knew she was a beautiful woman, she'd been told many times and used it to her advantage even more times. But that was not what stroked her when she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked just a little different. Something that most people wouldn't notice. But she'd spent a lot of time in front of mirrors, trying to deceive her loneliness, and she knows her face like no one else does. She'd seen age, anger, emptiness on it. Most of the time though, it was sadness that was painted on her lovely features. But not anymore. In that moment, she looked at herself and saw something she never thought possible. Happiness.

"You look stunning, love," Robin stated, having entered the room without making any sound like the perfect thief he'd been. Regina blushed slightly and smirked.

"You dressed up pretty well yourself, thief."

Robin made his way to her, taking her in his arms before leaning for a kiss. They stared at each other for a short moment grinning like idiots, like neither of them could believe their luck.

"Come on," he said. "Snow and David have arrived."

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" She made her way downstairs quickly and greeted her guests just as Emma and Killian knocked on the door. Some snow made its way inside the house with them.

"Damn, it's freezing!" Emma blurred as a hello.

"Good thing we brought the rum!" Killian winked.

Regina rolled her eyes but took the bottle of rum and wine as well as the entrée from them and made her way to the kitchen with Snow carrying her own bag. Regina wanted to prepare the whole dinner herself and be the perfect hostess the whole night, but Snow and Emma had insisted to make it a family thing and that they should all participate in the spirit of Christmas. Regina couldn't refuse, though she wasn't foolish enough not to prepare a pie of her own to compensate Snow's infamous Fruit Cake.

"Your house is amazing, Regina!" Snow said in admiration to the Christmas lights and decoration put up inside and outside the house. Regina and Henry had spent a whole day doing it all and it had been a perfect, if very exhausting, day. Robin had offered his help of course, but Henry had wanted to do it with his mom only, like the years before. They had decorated the tree together though. Regina, her little prince, her favorite thief and her bravest knight. Roland had been ecstatic all along. He actually had been super excited the whole month and couldn't wait for Santa Clause to come to town, even singing the song every day for the past week.

" _How it is that Santa never come in the Enchanted Forest?" he had asked one night when Regina was tucking him in._

" _That's because Santa doesn't know about the Enchanted Forest, he's always lived in this realm," she had answered._

" _But if he don't know it, he don't know about me, does he? What if he brings me no presents cause he don't know I'm here?"_

" _Of course he knows you, sweetheart! Santa knows all the good boys in this realm. And you've been a very good boy, haven't you? You'll see. He'll come and it'll be magical." With that she had kissed his forehead and wished him a good night._

Now Santa was about to come and Regina wanted more than anything to give Roland a night as magic as she'd promised him. Just as she was thanking Snow and telling her all about how she'd found Henry sneaking in her office to find his presents (unsuccessfully, as always), the boys made their way downstairs. Very loudly so but Regina didn't have the heart to call them on it.

"Need a hand?" Robin offered after he'd join them in the kitchen. He reached out for a biscuit on the workbench but Regina tapped his hand.

"The both of us will be enough, thank you. Now go back out there and be charming to our guests, thief. We'll come with the appetizers in a minute."

"Men… Real stomachs on feet!" Snow smirked knowingly at Regina. "So, things seem to be going well with you two," she added, testing the waters. You could always count on Snow to gossip about boys. To gossip at all, really. That habit had sadly not been lessen with all the time she'd spent with those insufferable dwarfs. Even so, Regina couldn't help a smile to spread across her face. That's how much she cared for Robin. Even the simple thought of her annoyingly cocky thief filled her chest with sparks of joy. _Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness._

"It does," Regina answered. "I guess I had to thank you for that." The princess still annoyed her most of the time, but Regina felt like she had to acknowledge the truth. Snow's words had had an impact on her that day and who knows if she'd have found the courage to go to Robin and be vulnerable in this way again if it hadn't been for her. In the end of the day and as much as she had tried to change it, Snow was family. Their newfound relationship was still precarious but, somehow, Regina wanted to hold on tight to it.

Snow looked at her surprised. "Me? Why?"

Regina shrugged. "I guess you just reminded me something important."

"What's that?"

"That love is the most powerful magic of all..."

"…It creates happiness."

Regina rolled her eyes at Snow's teary eyes. "Come on, let's bring the food before they start complaining like the kids they are."

They made their way to the living room where everyone was chatting cheerfully. Henry was offering drinks to everyone and Regina's heart melted with gratefulness for her little prince. Roland had apparently requisitioned Emma to show every single Christmas balls he had hanged himself on the tree and Emma patiently wondered at each one of them making him jumping with proud. Both boys were wearing suits for the occasion and were absolutely too cute.

After the appetizers, they moved to the dining room and dinner started. The conversation flowed easily, perfect mix of banter and lovely comments. Regina was seated at one end of the table while Robin was seating across her, checking on her from times to times with a mocking smirk or a warm smile. The sight amazed him. It took an extraordinary woman to have succumbed to the darkness and done so many terrible things and have been forgiven completely by the ones she'd hurt the most and come back into the light stronger than ever. An extraordinary woman to have raised such a kind boy by herself when she herself hadn't had the best example of parenting in her childhood. An extraordinary woman to have had her heart broken so many times and find the strength to put it back together over and over again.

Regina hadn't told him a lot about her past life yet, but some she had said, some he knew before, some he had witnessed himself and some he had put the pieces together. He was in no hurry though. He wanted to find out everything about her, in time, as she would him. Because they had all the time in the world.

Soon the desserts were served and everyone playfully mocked Snow's cake. "But it's a Christmas tradition!" she had defended herself. David and Emma and Henry took a slice and pretended to like it but most was left untouched and Regina laughed internally.

Snow clang her glass and cleared her throat. "I'd like to give a toast. To Regina and Robin for inviting us to their home tonight. And to all of you, for being such incredible persons. You didn't like my cake but, well, no one's perfect. I'm very lucky to have you in my life. Okay, enough rambling. I just want to wish you, from the bottom of my heart, a merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" everyone chanted back.

"Look papa! It's almost time!" Roland shouted as the clock showed 11:47 PM.

"Is that so, my boy? Here's an idea then. To be an extra good boy, you're going to help all the grown-ups to clean the dishes and then we'll go brush your teeth to be all ready when Santa comes!"

"Okay, papa! We clean the dishes now!" Roland called to everyone. "Chop-chop!"

They all laughed but got up and started clearing the table. After everything was brought back into the kitchen, Henry took Roland's hand and lead him into their upstairs bathroom. Regina and Robin exchanged a look. The boys where getting along well and it was a relief for the both of them.

 _Regina had woken up one morning a little later than usual. She had wondered how it was that Roland hadn't come into their room sooner. She stared a while at a sleeping Robin next to her, then made her way downstairs only to find the boys at the kitchen table, eating quietly their breakfast._

" _So Hulk technically is the strongest one but Iron Man is the smartest!" Henry was saying. "My favorite's Captain America though. See, he was a hero even before he got superpowers!"_

 _Regina smiled fondly at the scene. She stayed in the entrance of the room, a little hidden but the shadows and watched them. Henry had seemed to take on the role of big brother willingly and Roland was drinking every words coming out of him._

 _Just a few minutes later, Regina heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Robin. She gestured for him not to make any sound and to come closer. He joined her to her strategic spot and turned his gaze to the kids. A grin spread across his face and he put his arms around her. It felt like home._

Regina, Emma and Snow used the time the kids where upstairs to install the presents, "drank" the milk and "eat" the carrots. When all was set, Regina rang a little bell and Roland's scream followed in no time. "THE REINDEERS!"

"Henry, Roland!" Regina called for them. "Quick! Santa was just here!"

They immediately heard hurry footsteps and before they knew it the boys burst in the living room. Their faces were everything. Even if Henry was older, Christmas never lost its magic to him and his eyes were sparkling with excitement. As for Roland, his whole face lighted up with marvel and he stood there frozen.

"Did we miss Santa?" Roland said turning to Regina, a little disappointed.

"I told you sweetheart, we can't see Santa or he'd loose his magic!" she explained gently. "But look at all the presents he left for us!"

"Why don't you go and hand them out to everyone with Henry?" Robin proposed. Roland didn't need to be told twice. Every one sat comfortably on the couches chatting merrily while Henry helped Roland read the name on each present.

Emma was sitting between both her parents. Sometimes it still felt weird to think she was the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White and that they were so close in age. But she had finally gotten used to the idea and she couldn't begin to explain what being there tonight meant to her. She'd had a great Christmas with Neal, but it was nothing compared to this one. She was surrounded by people who cared for her. She exchanged a look with Regina and they knew they were thinking the same thing. The whole thing was a dream come true for the both of them.

Regina had thought a lot about what to get to everyone. Surprisingly, the easiest was Zelena's.

 _After a month in jail, Zelena had accepted Regina's offer of a second chance. They'd put a magical bracelet on her wrist to block her magic and stop her from attacking again and she'd been allowed to go back in the farm. No one trusted her yet, but how could Regina live with herself if she didn't at least try to do for her sister what Snow and her family had done for her? That's the why she'd made her way to Zelena's that morning, carrying a little wrapped box._

" _How kind of you, sis'. You really think charity will do the trick and turn me into a nice person? Is that how the idiots tricked you to believe you're some sort of hero?"_

 _Regina had expected that reaction of course and it made her smile. They were so alike. Obviously their relationship was everything but good so far. Regina hoped a day would come that they'd trust each other. When she was a little girl, she'd often wish on a star to have a brother or sister, a confidant, a friend, who would stand up for her against their mother when her daddy never did. Now she had one and she planned on getting something out of it._

" _Why don't you stop being an ass and open it, greenie?" After all, wanting to build a relationship with her sister didn't mean Regina wasn't ready to throw back every sarcastic comment._

 _Zelena sniffed at her but took the little package anyway. Inside of it was a necklace with two little diamonds and an emerald. "It was our mother's," Regina explained._

 _Zelena's mask dropped for a second to show how moved she was. Maybe she'd imagined it, but Regina could even swear Zelena smiled a tiny smile._

Now Regina was watching everyone else opening the presents, all warmed up by the fire and the joy. Henry was marveling at the new comics he was holding, Roland was showing him the quiver and arrows he'd gotten, Emma was laughing at something Killian had say, and the Charmings were holding hands and looked disgustingly content.

Regina knew the present she was now holding was Robin's. She opened it discretely to discover a necklace with a silver arrow and crown.

"I hope you like it," he whispered to her. "To be honest, figuring out that whole Christmas thing was bloody complicated." He had spent the last month asking tips to everyone he knew, with Little John as lost as himself. His conclusion from what he'd gathered was that Christmas, in the end, was like any other day. It about offering joy and love to the ones he cared about, not only with presents, but with your whole heart.

"It's perfect, Robin," she replied on the same tone. "Thank you."

"I love you."

It was three little words but that had a magical effect on Regina. She'd image that moment to be honest. She thought she would freeze and maybe even freak out. She thought she would run away just because it'd be all too much. And it was. It was overwhelming. Her heart speeded up a little, but she wasn't freaking out. She felt perfectly at peace. Happier than she'd ever been in so very long. She kissed him passionately to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.

"I love you back."

Robin's grin could have eclipsed the stars and moon. When she was finally able to break eye contact, Regina turned her gaze to their kids, then to everyone else. Seeing all their content smiles was the greatest gift Regina could ever ask for. In that moment, they were infinite. Whatever the future may hold, she would always have that moment.


End file.
